Christians of their time, that even then there was,
and yet would be more and more, a falling away from the power of
godliness, and the purity of that spiritual dispensation, by such as
sought to make a fair show in the flesh, but with whom the offence of the
cross ceased. Yet with this comfortable conclusion, that they saw beyond
it a more glorious time than ever to the true church. Their sight was
true; and what they foretold to the churches, gathered by them in the
name and power of Jesus, came to pass: for Christians degenerated apace
into outsides, as days, and meats, and divers other ceremonies. And,
which was worse, they fell into strife and contention about them;
separating one from another, then envying, and, as they had power,
persecuting one another, to the shame and scandal of their common
Christianity, and grievous stumbling and offence of the heathen; among
whom the Lord had so long and so marvellously preserved them. And having
got at last the worldly power into their hands, by kings and emperors
embracing the Christian profession, they changed, what they could, the
kingdom of Christ, which is not of this world, into a worldly kingdom;
or, at least, styled the worldly kingdom that was in their hands, the
kingdom of Christ, and so they became worldly and not true Christians.
Then human inventions and novelties, both in doctrine and worship,
crowded fast into the church; a door opened thereunto, by the grossness
and carnality that appeared then among the generality of Christians, who
had long since left the guidance of God's meek and heavenly spirit, and
given themselves up to superstition, will-worship, and voluntary
humility. And as superstition is blind, so it is heady and furious, for
all must stoop to its blind and boundless zeal, or perish by it: in the
name of the spirit, persecuting the very appearance of the spirit of God
in others, and opposing that in others, which they resisted in
themselves, viz. the light, grace, and spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ;
but always under the notion of innovation, heresy, schism, or some such
plausible name; though Christianity allows of no name, or pretence
whatever, for persecuting of any man for matters of mere religion, being
in its very nature meek, gentle, and forbearing; and consists of faith,
hope, and charity, which no persecutor can have, whilst he remains a
persecutor; in that a man cannot believe well, or hope well, or have a
charitable or tender rega